A group of Capitol Hill gay bars and clubs are teaming up with neighborhood queer community leaders Dan Savage and Terry Miller in calling for the state’s liquor control board and Seattle Police officials to explain what they say was a weekend crackdown reminiscent of historical harassment of Seattle’s LGBTQ friendly venues.

Ownership at the bars including The Cuff, Queer/Bar, Massive, and The Eagle along with Savage and Miller say that citations issued over weekend over clothing and decency violations at a handful of clubs recorded by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board and so-called Joint Enforcement Team inspectors were targeted.

The group is asking for the community to demand the liquor control board explain its actions.

“None of the venues in our coalition have ever been cited for alcohol or violence related offenses,” the statement from the club owners reads. “Citations were issued based solely on individuals’ clothing choices, such as being shirtless or wearing a jockstrap, which we consider a breach of the power entrusted to JET and the LCB for maintaining public safety.”

“The absence of violence or liquor-related issues in the citations indicates a concerning focus on targeting queer individuals in queer spaces,” they write.

Liquor control board officials met on the situation Monday and say that the enforcement effort “in no way” was targeted because of the LGBTQ affiliations of the venues, a spokesperson told CHS Monday night.

The spokesperson provided a roster of inspected bars and clubs from the weekend to CHS and said that there were “lewd conduct violations” noted to management Friday night at Neighbours and The Cuff, and again Saturday night as inspectors visited The Eagle for a complaint of service to a minor, but no citations for the issue around clothing and nudity were issued. The liquor board says management was notified of the violations and that inspectors “will follow up with licensee.”

According to the spokesperson, the inspection roster for any given weekend is driven by local JET partners including issues identified by Seattle Police and the Seattle Department of Transportation.

The clubs say the actions are a worrying new activity by the liquor board and JET. Continue reading →